


Patience is a Virtue

by CuriosityRedux



Series: Dragon Drabbles Modern [7]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Hiccstrid - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-29 21:51:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16752124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CuriosityRedux/pseuds/CuriosityRedux
Summary: Who's more impatient-- the one in the plane or the one waiting on it?





	Patience is a Virtue

**Patience is a Virtue**

**-**

She bites at her nails and bounces her foot against the seat across from her, staring at the parade of people passing by. 

A thousand miles away, he paces by the giant window, hands in his pockets as he sighs and glances at the planes navigating the runways.

*

Toothless is meowing pathetically in his carrier. He paws at the lock and rattles the grate in an attempt to get Astrid’s attention, but she just sticks her forefinger through the side and scratches at his side. “I know,” she mumbles, distracted and tired. Something smells like cinnamon and fresh bread. “Me too.” 

*

The coffee sitting on top of his carry-on has cooled to luke warm by now. It’s his fourth cup in twelve hours, and he’s not a regular coffee drinker. That’s her. Anything to keep his heavy lids from falling, though, to keep him from drifting off while he waits. The instrumental Christmas music playing over the intercoms makes him want to stretch out by a fireplace, makes the cheesy lyrics of No Place Like Home feel a little too personal. 

*

“What’s her name?” a little girl in a fluffy blue coat asks as she peers into Toothless’ carrier. She’s got a ‘Welcome to Berk, Cami!’ sign in one hand, the other one hesitantly poking at the cat. 

“His name’s Toothless,” Astrid replies, giving the girl’s mom a reassuring smile.

“What’s wrong with his leg?” Big brown eyes blink with curiosity. Toothless is pleased by the attention, rubbing against the grate and purring. 

“Nothing. He’s just missing a foot.” She reaches over to pop open the grate and curls a finger into the cat’s collar so he can’t go running. The little girl giggles, smoothing her hand over his head and soft fur. Toothless licks her fingers whenever they get close. 

The girl’s mom gives Astrid a smile. “We’ve been here for four hours. All that snow. You?”

“Nine,” she replies, and when the woman’s face drops, she smiles and shrugs.

*

Hiccup used to be a patient person. Used to be able to reason with himself and understand that things are a certain way for a reason. Fuming and huffing won’t make anything go any faster. 

But knowing that he’s trapped in this giant tin can while they wheel around the tarmac makes him antsy. His hands twist around the strap of his bag, and he chews at his lip as he tries to make sense of the dance of planes outside the little window. The message on his phone won’t send, the progress bar halted halfway through. He rakes his fingers through his hair and shakes his head. 

*

“Come on,” she whispers, staring at the escalators expectantly. A shock of red-brown hair. A leather jacket. Anything— absolutely anything— that looks even vaguely familiar makes her jump and straighten. And her heart falls every time, while somebody else around her gasps and shrieks and waves.

*

She’s warm and soft when she almost slams into his chest. He lets his backpack slide off his shoulder so he can properly wrap his arms around her and rest his forehead against her crown. Toothless mewls and makes scratching noises from his carrier. 

The smell of the shampoo in her hair is worth the past thirty-two hours, seventeen minutes, and five thousand, forty-one miles.


End file.
